The following steps usually fix many of the technical problems that we hear about from our users:

1. Make sure that you have enabled support for cookies from our site. Directions
2. If you have any Internet or Privacy Filters installed, make sure that you have added "stockcharts.com" to the "Allowed Sites" lists for those programs.
3. Make sure that you have disabled any pop-up ad blocking software.
   You can test your pop-up settings by clicking the following link: Popup Test
4. Clear your browser's temporary file cache completely. Directions
5. Restart your computer.

A whole host of problems can be solved by following those steps. If that doesn't fix your problem, read the rest of this FAQ and then send us a feedback message.

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We recommend using the latest versions of Mozilla Firefox regardless of what kind of computer you use. You can download the latest version at http://www.getfirefox.com.

We test our site with most common web browsers including Firefox, Microsoft Internet Explorer, and Apple's Safari.

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Probably. There are several parts of StockCharts that use popup windows for legitimate, non-advertising reasons. Popup blocking software will prevent you from using many of the important features of our site. Things that may stop working due to popup blockers include: scan results, saving favorites, annotating favorites, and certain support pages. You'll need to configure any popup blockers you have to allow popups from "stockcharts.com".

Note: Older computers often have several programs that contain popup-blocking software. Program such as web browsers, browser toolbars add-ins and Internet privacy filters can contain popup blockers. Make sure that you configure all of those programs to allow popups from "stockcharts.com".

You can test your popup-blocker settings by clicking the following link: Popup Test

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Our interactive charting tools - ChartNotes, PerfCharts, Market Carpets, and the Dynamic P&F Charts - require a common browser plugin called "Java." If you are having problems using those tools, trying installing the latest version of Java from http://www.java.com.

Note: If you are still having problems after installing Java from that website, try uninstalling all copies of Java from your computer, then reboot your computer and try installing a clean copy from http://www.java.com again.

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Incorrect cookie settings can cause a variety of strange problems including constantly having to re-login to the site. If you suspect cookie problems, follow these steps to enable cookies for our site:

We've created several Step-by-Step tutorials that show you exactly what you need to do to configure your browser correctly for our cookies. Here's the link to the Internet Explorer tutorial and here's the link to the Firefox tutorial.

You can test your cookie settings using our Cookie Tester.

If you have any third-party privacy or security programs installed on your computer, they could also be blocking our cookies. Please make sure that all of those programs are configured to allow both "Temporary" and "Permanent" cookies from "stockcharts.com".

One final thing: Make sure that your computer's date is set correctly, otherwise our browser cookies may be deleted prematurely.

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Your browser stores copies of the webpages that you visit on your local hard drive in something called the Temporary File Cache. Over time, this cache may fill up and that may cause unexpected behavior from our site such as charts that stop updating and forms that don't work.

We've written a couple of Step-by-Step tutorials that help you clear your browser's temporary file cache. Here's a link to the tutorial for Internet Explorer. Here's the link to the tutorial for Firefox users.

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The data for our charts should be updated continuously throughout the trading day. There are three common reasons you might see charts with old, out-of-date quotes on them:

1. You are looking at a chart with a user-defined duration setting where the end date is in the past. Check the "Duration" settings for the chart to see if that is the case. We recommend using one of the "Predefined" duration settings for charts that you always want us to update.
2. Your browser has stored an old version of the chart in its temporary file cache. Try clearing your cache. Directions
3. The stock you are charting has stopped trading.

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We do several things to ensure that our site responds quickly to your requests. Our site is connected to the Internet via several ultra-high bandwidth T3 connections (each working at 45Mbps). In addition to our internal site monitoring, we use an automated service called KeyNote to monitor our site's performance 24x7 from 20 different locations throughout North America. We receive automatic notification if our site cannot send out a chart in less than 1/3rd of a second.

If you are seeing slow site performance, chances are the problem is not with our servers but with one of the "segments" of the Internet that make up your connection. We recommend using the free program at http://www.pingplotter.com to "trace" your connection to our servers. Often, PingPlotter's display will indicate that one of the segments that make up your connection is either very slow or is dropping lots of packets (red lines). If the problem is with the very first segment on the display, then there's something wrong with your computer or its connection. If the problem is with the last segment, then there's a problem with our servers and we'd like to hear about it. If the problem is somewhere in the middle (which is common), then there's a problem in the Internet itself. While your ISP may be able to help in that case, most of the time the problem will go away on its own in a couple of hours.

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There are three reasons why this could be happening:

1. You've lost your Internet connection,
2. Your browser isn't displaying PNG format graphics correctly, or
3. We are experiencing site difficulties.

If you are seeing red X's, first make sure that you can connect to other websites - if not, re-establish your Internet connection. Next, see if you can see the sample PNG image on http://stockcharts.com/PNGTest.html - if you can't, repair or upgrade your browser (more info). Finally, trace your connection using the PingPlotter program as described in the question "Why is your site so slow?"

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All of our articles (including this one) should print properly in portrait mode using standard margin settings. We test print articles using both MS IE 6.x and Netscape 7.x on an HP LaserJet printer. If you are having problems, use the "File/Page Setup" command and make sure that all of your margins are set to 0.75".

When printing a single SharpChart, it is best to use the "Print Version" link located just below every chart. Members may want to select the "Monochrome" color scheme first if they don't have a color printer. If you want a print out that fills the printed page, use the "Portrait" or "Landscape" chart size setting first.

To print a saved list of charts, first display the list in "Print" view (Extra! subscribers only).

Unfortunately, most browsers still don't print our Java-based interactive charts properly. We recommend using a screen capture utility to capture and print our interactive charts. See http://stockcharts.com/support/printProblems.html for more info.

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We allow members to create charts that are up to 1580 pixels (dots) wide. Larger charts really can help with detailed technical analysis. If you want to view these larger charts without scrolling your screen left and right, you'll need to increase your "screen resolution". Note that having a large monitor doesn't automatically result in increased screen resolution. Windows users may be able to increase their screen resolution by following these steps:

Windows:

1. Close all of the programs you are currently running so that you can see your desktop.
2. Right-click on an empty portion of your desktop and select "Properties" from the menu that appears.
3. Click on the "Settings" tab at the top of the page.
4. Move the "Screen Resolution" slider to the right to increase your screen resolution.
5. When you click "OK", the system will run a test to see if your monitor supports the resolution you selected. If you see junk on your screen, just wait a couple of seconds and your original screen should return.

If you can't select a resolution higher than 800 by 600, then you probably don't have the proper video driver software installed. Consult your computer manufacturer's website for help.

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You should only have to agree to our Terms of Service once. If you see that page every time you log in to your account it is probably because your browser's "cookie" settings are incorrect. Make sure that your browser allows all cookies from the domain "stockcharts.com" to get through and this problem should disappear. For more info, see this question.

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Check the "Text Size" settings for your web browser. For IE users, it can be found under the "View" menu. Make sure it is set to "Medium" for normal viewing. You can also change it to "Larger" if you need to. Most other settings are not recommended. If you cannot find a setting that works for you, you might want to check out Firefox - it provides a much greater level of control over your text size setting.

If the font is grossly distorted and you use Windows, the "High Contrast" setting may be the culprit. Go to "Start > Control Panel > Accessibility Options > Display" and uncheck the box next to "Use High Contrast" if it is checked.

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Java has its own separate location for caching Java program files. Clearing that cache may solve certain kinds of problems with Java programs.

Windows users can clear that cache by following these steps: right click on the "coffee cup" icon in the lower right corner of the screen, select "Open Control Panel", then select the "Cache" tab and click the "Clear" button (or just click the "Delete Files" button if you don't have the "Cache" tab).

For Apple Macintosh users: From the Mac OSX desktop, navigate as follows: Home → Applications → Utilities → Java Launch the Application called Java 1.4.1 Plugin Settings. Click the "Cache" tab. Then click the "Clear" button.

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If you cannot create a new chart with your default settings then you are probably not logged in to your account correctly. First close all but one of your browser windows and then go to our homepage. Next enter your User ID and password in the Member Login area and click "Login". If you do not remember your password, please click here to have your password sent to you.

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